Sports Management (SPM)

This course is a survey course that is designed to provide students with an overview of the basic organizational and business structure of the diverse and expanding field of sports management. The content areas include Professional, Olympic, and intercollegiate, as well as the exercise/fitness promotion business sectors. Additional topics will include sports law, ethics, sports journalism and communications, as well as sports marketing. The student will be exposed to the different sports career opportunities, requirements for entrance into the various employment areas and the trends in the industry

This course studies the guidelines and principles of managing sport and recreation events and facilities. Topics include event logistics, critical planning techniques, negotiations, funding, and facility design, operation, and maintenance.

This is a course designed to provide students with a strong foundation in organization theory and application of that theory in the context of sport management. Real-world, key issues currently faced by sport managers will be explored. Topics include organization theory, structure, effectiveness, design options, power, politics, conflict, and decision making within sport organizations. The student will be exposed to sport organization theory in practical terms and learn how to apply the knowledge in real-world situations through analysis of current trends in the industry.

Cross-listed with: BL-2401. An introduction to law as it relates to sports management; U.S. legal process and court system; constitutional and anti-discrimination law; the law of torts, contracts, agency, labor, business organizations: franchising, sole proprietorships, partnerships, LLCs, and corporations; antitrust, intellectual property and licensing.

This course analyses contemporary issues in sports and encourages students to think critically about the impact of athletics on American culture and society; as well as an in-depth look beyond wins and loses. A history of the development and dynamics of sports will also be reviewed. Other topics include the influence of sports on race, gender, politics, economy, etc.

An examination of American sports leagues, conferences and governing bodies. Topics that will be covered include: how the governing organizations were formed; problems faced in governing professional and collegiate sports; the relationship between member institutions and governing bodies; the role of the commissioner; governing organizations and their role in disciplining member institutions; realignment and expansion; marketing; public relations, licensing; athletic scholarships, Title IX.

The digital sports landscape has changed substantially over the past 10 years, and it has altered the way content is produced and consumed. Professional sports leagues, teams, and athletic departments must keep up with the demand to provide value to fans and sponsors through engaging content. This course will cover social media techniques and strategies in a sports setting, both from an academic and practitioner perspective. Additional topics include mobile, data, branding, monetization, current news topics, and participation in sports-social media conversations, among others.